Page 303 - JAPAN THE SHAPING OFDAIMYO CULTURE 1185-1868

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225 Writing utensil box 226 Writing utensil box
l
4.6 X 22.5 X 24.5 (l 3/i6 X 8?/8 X 95/8) 4.0 X 21.3 X 23.8 (l9/i6 X 83/8 X 95/16)
maki-e lacquer, metal, and maki-e, red and black lacquer, gold,
mother-of-pearl on wood tin, and mother-of-pearl on wood;
Edo period, lyth century copper
Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art Edo period, iyth century
Eisei Bunko, Tokyo
In the Edo period, the arts prospered un-
der the Maeda family, daimyo of a rich do- With the advent of a period of peace at the
main in Kaga Province (part of present-day beginning of the early modern era, the
Ishikawa Prefecture). During the reign of working life of the commoner became a
the third-generation Maeda daimyo, popular theme in both painting and crafts,
Toshitsune (1593-1658), the Kyoto maki-e supplementing the traditional subjects re-
artist Igarashi Doho was invited to Kana- lated to the court and warrior classes, and
zawa, the castle town of the Maeda, and landscapes. This trend is reflected in the
the Kaga maki-e style of lacquer was devel- decoration of this suzuribako (writing uten-
oped. This suzuribako (writing utensil box), sil box), with seven women transplanting
remarkable for its elaborate maki-e tech- rice shoots in slightly raised takamaki-e (re-
nique, is attributed to Doho. It is deco- lief maki-e) lacquer, inlaid mother-of-pearl
rated with a field full of such grasses and (raderi), and sheet-gold and tin. Black lac-
flowers as chrysanthemums, pampas grass, quer is used for the women's eyes and hair
Chinese bellflowers, and fujibakama, or and red lacquer for their lips. A regular, di-
"purple trousers." The designs are exe- agonal wavelike pattern in gold maki-e
cuted in takamaki-e (relief maki-e) lacquer, forms the ground on the top and sides of
sheet metal, and inlaid mother-of-pearl (ra- the overlapping lid and the sides of the
den). The ground is in the maki-e tech- box. The interior is decorated with a dian-
nique known as ikakeji, in which fine gold thus design and holds a round copper
or silver filings are densely spread over wet water-dropper, an inkstone, and a remov-
lacquer. The reverse of the lid and the re- able tray. Not shown in the photograph is
movable tray inside are decorated with fly- an inkstick, decorated with a design of
ing cranes, some holding pine branches in scattered chrysanthemums. SN
their beaks. SN

290